Harry Potter and the Child of Night
by AngelZash
Summary: Death can be a terrible thing and the thought of dying can be terrifying. Now, however, the living and the dead must work together for the good of all. Especially one young boy named Harry Potter. Spoilers for OotP! Revised and reuploaded!
1. First Move

Disclaimer: Ok, this is fan fiction. That means fiction written by a fan of some original story. This means that I do not own the world or characters or idea of Harry Potter. Sue me and discover the hard truth. All I have to take are a lot of bills and an irascible old grandmother. Only the story idea of this fic and Kali and Zasha are mine.  
  
I dedicate (not that I really have the power to) this fanfic to J.K. Rowling, in thanks for creating the wonderful world of Harry Potter and to Sirius Black, my favorite character forever! We'll miss ya, Sirius!  
  
More Author's Notes after the story so that I can comment on the story chapter by chapter. Please read or you'll miss announcements. IT's also where I'll answer reviewers from time to time. Oh, and do not read this if you have not read The Order Of The Phoenix. It's entire premise is a spoiler.  
  
Professor Sibyll Trelawney practically skipped on her way down to breakfast. The school year was over and she had her old job back. And, what with Dumbledore's return and that awful woman's departure, not even the that she had to share her position with a centaur could deflate her good mood. Her mood was so good, in fact, she had even decided to join her co-workers that had not left the school for holiday yet at breakfast.  
  
She slowed her step and attempted an ethereal glide into the room. She looked ridiculous to the rest of the room's occupants, but Trelawney didn't notice their exasperated looks. She simply smiled airily at them as she lowered herself into a seat about halfway down the table from Dumbledore.  
  
"Good morning, Sibyll," the Headmaster said cheerily as he attempted to jam a roll around his beard, which was falling back down from where he had flung it over his shoulder. "I trust you slept well?"  
  
Trelawney nodded gracefully as she began to fill her plate with various breakfast foods. "Why yes, Dumbledore. Thank you. In fact I had a wonderful dream last night."  
  
Snape snorted as McGonagall said, "Really, Sibyll? And who had the pleasure of dying this time? Or should I ask how?"  
  
Trelawney sniffed in annoyance, but otherwise ignored the older woman, "Actually, I dreamt that You-Know-Who was finally vanquished and we had lost no more innocent souls in the battle."  
  
Hopeful smiles lit around the table, though sadness colored the eyes of theirs owners. Taking the momentary silence as a sign of her co- workers' belief in her dream, Trelawney began to butter her own roll.  
  
"That was a nice dream," McGonagall told her gently. Tears shone faintly in her eyes and Dumbledore offered her a handkerchief.  
  
"Yes," groused Snape without much expression. "It was a nice DREAM, but it really is a doubtful one. When the Dark Lord goes, he will take many wizards with. Possibly even Potter." A corner of the dour Potions Master's mouth lifted slightly, though whether it was in anticipation of this occurrence or in dread of it, only he could say.  
  
Trelawney frowned at him, "But my prophecy said that only one of them must die in the final battle."  
  
Snape shook his head at the oblivious woman and scowled, "No, the prophecy only states that not both can live at the same time. It never says that ONLY one will die."  
  
Trelawney's eyes narrowed as gasps sounded from the other teachers and the thin seer opened her mouth as if to speak, but no words issued forth. Her magnified eyes opened wide behind her thick glasses and the pupils dilated. A true unearthly air surrounded the woman and Dumbledore hurriedly leaned forward to listen as a voice that had only been heard twice before from between her lips split the morning's left over lazy air.  
  
"FROM ANOTHER REALM SHE'LL COME...VIOLET WILL BE HER LIGHT...THIS IS THE CHILD OF DEATH...SHE MAY RESCUE WHAT IS LOST...THE HEART OF A PRINCESS COMBINES WITH A PRINCE...THEY CAN SAVE US ALL FROM THE ENEMY UNSEEN..."  
  
Trelawney slumped in her seat and blinked repeatedly, "What was I saying?"  
  
Stunned silence greeted her question, broken only by the soft chuckles of the Headmaster, "You were just receiving a raise, Sibyll." McGonagall shot Dumbledore a look full of questions, but remained silent as he shook his head and stood. "If you'll excuse me, I'll go make a note of it."  
  
Trelawney grinned happily and began to eat her breakfast.  
  
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Zasha Nox scowled at the stack of books she was currently kneeling before. She was 28 years old and a college graduate, but, due to an economic decline and some unknown family member gracing her with a curse to forever look fifteen, she was also an employee at the local Barnes and Nobles. Granted, she had just made Assistant Manager, but she should have been made that years ago with all the work she put in. Not to mention the fact that she didn't really want to be here. Six years ago, she had thought her high grades and the supposedly recovering economy would help her get a job in a school somewhere, allowing her teach and go the alternate route to achieving her certificate, but nothing had turned out the way she'd planned.  
  
Focusing on English had been her mistake, she realized now. At the time, she had thought it would only help her know her subject better, but no one wanted a teacher that had never taught before. And being a good student and hard worker didn't help you when legislators were lying through their teeth about the progress the economy was making just to keep their own jobs. It had taken Zasha a year simply to find the job she held now, never mind a better one where she didn't have to face people who thought they could push her around because she looked both young and was an employee of the store.  
Zasha stood and shoved a couple of books into place on their selves, muttering, "If they economy is improving so much, how come I haven't noticed it?"  
  
"Because you're not very observant," questioned a voice from behind.  
  
"Guess so," Zasha sighed, turning around to face her co-worker. "What's up, Kali?"  
  
Kali Taylor was a dark-skinned blonde with the eyes so deeply blue that they were almost a light purple. The girl was only 20 and still a student at the near-by university, but Zasha always thought that she was still in high school with her rebellious attitude. Of course, some never did lose that attitude, just look at her first college roommate, Jordan Birke. She couldn't keep a job if it was attached to her rump.  
  
"Not much," Kali replied cheerily. "I just wondered if you'd like to go to a club tonight with some of the girls?"  
  
Zasha frowned, her own unnaturally deep blue eyes narrowing in irritation, and pushed back a lock of bright red hair. She knew why Kali wanted her to go. "The girls," as Kali liked to call them, were four co- workers just slightly younger than Kali herself. They liked Zasha to tag along when they were going somewhere so that they could check out the atmosphere for underage drinkers and have an ID to get drinks with even if the place wasn't amiable to serving them.  
  
Still... It would be nice to get out of the house. Her mother was having a "guest" over and Zasha knew she would be probably stuck in her room all night if she didn't go.  
  
"What club," Zasha asked quietly. "And until when? I'm not staying out late. I help open tomorrow."  
  
Kali grinned, knowing she had Zasha exactly where she wanted the other woman, "That new one, down by the university. I think it's called "Island Dreams." They're having a Ladies' Night Out special as long as we arrive by 10."  
  
Zasha hesitated a moment and nodded, knowing she would regret this all later. "Alright. I meet ya'll there at 9:30. Good enough? But we leave by 12:30! I have to work, don't forget."  
  
Kali nodded enthusiastically at the reminder, and then stopped and lowered her head sheepishly. "Can I get a ride with you back to my dorm afterwards? I promised my roomie I wouldn't walk home alone."  
  
Zasha nodded, knowing, as Kali's roommate obviously did, that if someone didn't escort the girl home, she'd never make it there. She smiled half-heartedly as Kali squealed, gave her a quick hug and ran off back towards the registers. With another sigh and a tightening of her ponytail to ensure her long hair stayed out of her way, Zasha turned back to her books, grudgingly filing them away.  
  
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Zasha sighed as she stood waiting in front of the club. So far, no one had arrived, but it was only just 9:30 and they had a talent for being late. At least the area seemed safe enough and she'd been able to find a near-by lamp to stand under. The only drawback to waiting this night was the fact that her feet were killing her in her high heels and she had to share the small circle of light with a smoker who had no idea how disgusting Zasha found having smoke blown in her face every time she dared to shift a bit.  
Zasha pulled her black tank top a little tighter over her chest and adjusted her Wonderbra a bit, wishing she could at least have made it into a B cup. She'd look better dressed up and no one would ever mistake her for being a guy again even if she didn't look any older. In fact, she'd already had one obviously gay man proposition her tonight and knew she'd have at least one more before the night was through, not to mention the few drunk women that would wend their way over to her. This was why she rarely ever went clubbing...  
  
"Sorry I'm late," called Kali's overly happy voice.  
  
Turning and shoving a now irate smoker out of her face, Zasha gave her younger friend a tight smile, "S'alright... No one else has showed yet either."  
  
"Oh," Kali said, looking a bit stunned. Zasha knew she was in trouble now. "I forgot to tell you! The others said they weren't going to be able to make it."  
  
The smoker chuckled and stamped out her cigarette on the pavement, saying in a raspy voice, "Tough luck, honey. And you thought I was desperate for your attention!"  
  
Zasha glared after the woman as Kali grinned knowingly, "You get all the dates, Zash!"  
  
"Yeah," Zasha answered tightly. "Too bad they're not ones I'd ever be stupid to go on."  
  
Zasha leaned against the street lamp next to her and turned her attention back to her friend, "So, what happened to them?"  
  
Kali shrugged and shifted a bit on her feet, "Shelly got stuck babysittin' and Sarah got roped into something with her family. Karen and Jess both got last minute dates with a set of twins. They said they just couldn't pass it up!"  
  
Zasha chuckled as she imagined the flirtatious pair's reaction to having a date with a pair of twins. They were probably already giggling over what they would do once they were in-laws. "No. They wouldn't pass that one up, would they?"  
  
Kali laughed one of her high laughs that normally warned Zasha that she was nervous. Looking around, she noticed the reason why. They were being approached by two men, neither of whom looked to be date material in outfits that consisted of overly large, ripped black jeans and wrinkled mesh shirts. It was made worse by the fact that Zasha could tell by their strut and leers that these men thought they were dressed to kill.  
  
"Right," Zasha murmured, pulling her tightly clad friend closer to where she stood with one hand and reaching into her purse for a can of mace with the other. She shot a look at the entrance to building and noted the absence of the bouncer that had been standing there five minutes before. "That's two strikes against this place: Too obvious drug dealers and disappearing bouncers."  
"Yo," called one of the guys, the shorter and dingier of the two. Zasha backed up as far as the light pole would allow. "I thought this place was new, but there'll doin' a'ight if they're bringin' in gurls like you!"  
  
"We're not interested," Zasha said sternly, hoping they might decide her too young to argue the point. No such luck.  
  
The men laugh and the taller one grinned at her, "Oh... Don't worry! We know how to get you interested!"  
  
Zasha gasped as he reached for her and she tried to pull out her mace, but she realized to her horror that the little can was caught on the half-open zipper. She settled instead for pushing Kali behind her and readying her purse for use as her weapon instead. She never had a chance, however. A tugging from behind her navel pulled at her and the world swirled away from her sight.  
  
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Snape scowled at Dumbledore's back as Remus Lupin chuckled gently at him. He turned to shoot the gentle werewolf a venomous glare that would have killed a lesser man and strode off after the Headmaster.  
  
"I understand what you want me to do," he said, catching up with the older man finally, "but why do I have to do it with him?"  
  
Dumbledore sighed and turned back to Snape, gentle reprimand in his sparkling blue eyes. "Because Remus is one of our best Order members in the Dark Arts and all of the others are not free to help you. They have their own assignments."  
  
Snape looked as though he wanted to throttle the old wizard, but merely curled a lip up and argued, "But why do I need a partner on such a mission as this? I could have it done in a matter of days by myself."  
  
Dumbledore's eyes hardened still further, "With Remus's help you will have it done in half the time." He paused, eyeing the intimidating Potions Master shrewdly for a moment. "I know you don't get along with him, Severus, but surely you are old enough to put aside your differences for one mission?"  
  
Snape scowled unhappily, but he knew a dismissal when he was given one. Remus took pity on his biased colleague and stepped forward, opening his mouth as if to speak, but he lost the opportunity when a blinding light shone just in front of his eyes.  
  
Remus saw Snape snap back, an arm flying up to shield his eyes before Remus's own eyes were blinded by the glare. He moved quickly to back away, but he was too late. A sudden high scream attacked his ears just before a heavy weight slammed into his chest. He fell back, his arms automatically flying forward to wrap around a small warm body. He closed his eyes, wondering if Hogwarts had been attacked and this was the end for him. If it was, he only wished he could have said good-bye to Harry. The poor boy didn't need to lose anybody else now.  
  
It was a minute before Remus finally opened his eyes again. And the only reason he did so was the gasp that sounded above him.  
  
He looked up into a pair of deep blue eyes, speckled with hints of purple that stared wide and horrified down at him. Disheveled, long red hair fell framed a pixie-shaped face of what seemed to be a very shocked young girl straddling his lower chest. He allowed his eyes to follow her hair down to her shoulders and caught of glimpse of pale white skin beneath a black Muggle sleeveless shirt. All in all, Remus was very uncertain as to what he should do, but was very sure that werewolf opponents everywhere would soon be bursting in to accuse him of molesting a child.  
  
Swallowing hard and ignoring a low growling which was probably emanating from Snape, Remus said, "You know, we might both be more comfortable if you sat somewhere besides my chest."  
  
He'd tried to be gentle, but the girl still screamed loudly and darted off him, tripping in his robes and this time falling on another girl that had just been getting to her feet behind the first. Both fell to the floor with short screams and immediately started wriggling to try to recover what dignity they had left. Remus and the other two wizards politely averted their eyes just enough to avoid seeing up the girls' skirts without losing sight of them.  
  
Finally the girls were standing and facing them, the smaller one standing protectively in front of the older one. Remus watched as their eyes traveled up and down the three wizards and knew there was definitely something wrong when he saw panic start to set in.  
  
"Where are we," asked the red head in a voice that seemed older than the teenager he saw before him. "And please don't tell me we've been kidnapped by some cult!"  
  
"Cult," snarled Snape incredulously. "You attack us and then accuse us of being occult members?"  
  
The girls' eyes widened, showing Remus a startling similarity that made him wonder if they might not be related, and they cowered back involuntarily from the imposing figure that was the Potions Master.  
  
"No," Dumbledore answered, in a tone that was much more suited to calming the frayed nerves of panicking women. "We are not members of an occult. We are very curious as to how you came to be here, however."  
  
The girls looked at each other and Remus could see tears brimming in the blonde's eyes. The red head noticed this and seemed to stiffen in determination.  
  
"Why don't you tell us, Mister Merlin-Wanna-Be," she snarled, imitating Snape almost perfectly in her protective strike against the elderly Headmaster. "We were just minding our own business, preparing to go into a party when two druggies started hassling us. Then we were here. You must have been the ones to do this!"  
  
Dumbledore blinked, then chuckled, "You're quite right, I'm no where near Merlin's quality of magic. But you're wrong about our involvement in this. We did not bring you here."  
  
The girls blinked and the red head stared at Dumbledore, uncertainty lighting in her eyes. "But- but how did we get here then?"  
  
"Ah..." Dumbledore agreed with a sage nod. "That would be the question then, wouldn't it?"  
  
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Not many among the living could stand to think about it, but being dead was actually very relaxing. A bit boring perhaps, but very much the relaxing get away. Now if he could only get away from the get away.  
  
He should be able to, shouldn't he? He never actually died, after all - just fell through some dusty old veil after being hit by a rather painful curse. Couldn't death make an exception? Just this once?  
  
"No, you must find your own deliverance," was all the musty old fellow would say though. And then he'd grin and inquire whether Sirius wanted "one lump or two?"  
  
"How can I find it in a misty place full of dead people," Sirius would cry before adding, "Two lumps. I'm dead, my cholesterol can't get me now."  
  
This was Death's cue to grin his toothily and say, "With so many advantages to keeping me company, why would want to go back there? After all, your next death might not be so pleasant."  
  
Normally Sirius would remain silent after that, sullenly staring into his cup and keeping his reasons for himself, but not today. Today he looked up at the Grim Reaper with haunted eyes, swallowed and told him, "My Godson. My Godson needs me. He doesn't have anyone else. I wasn't a very good Godfather the first time around, but I'll do better this time. I swear! I'll- I'll never let him do anything dangerous again. I'll fight Dumbledore and stop letting him hole the both of us up. We- We'll take our lives back and Voldemort won't know what hit him! Just, please let me go back. I have to protect him. He's just a boy. He can't fight alone..."  
  
Death watched his new-found friend with sad interest in his bright violet eyes, "Do you know how many I hear ask me that very same question? They all have good reasons. Some even better than yours, but I can't send any of you back. One you've entered Hades, there is no way back."  
  
"But the veil..." Sirius argued weakly.  
  
"Yes, yes," Death sighed in exasperation, "the veil. It is the only direct route between the Lands. However, few have ever used it and fewer still ever return from it."  
  
"Then it's possible," Sirius sat up a little straighter, hope shining from his once more youthful eyes.  
  
"You would need help..." Death told him, his own eyes hardening and his jovial, youthful features turning into the pale, drawn features of a man who has lived too long. "And the price may be more than you are willing to pay."  
  
Sirius stared at the imposing figure of darkness before him, letting his soak into his jammed mind. He thought of all he had to lose by staying. Harry, Remus, the Order. They all needed him. Maybe not the Order so much, but he was sure he could be of use one day soon. He'd already proven his ability to fight. Of course, he'd ended up killed, but still, that had to count for something.  
  
And Remus needed him to keep him safe. That man would let himself go without coaxing from a close friend. Not even Dumbledore knew the extent to which Remus had let himself go before Sirius had arrived at his place a year ago. The man had been thin as a skeleton, pale as snow and his home a ramshackle cottage maintained just well enough to ensure it would keep him dry if not warm.  
  
And then there was Harry. He couldn't leave Harry. Everybody else had already done that. The teenager needed his Godfather to be there for him. He needed someone to fight for him, not just let Molly Weasley and Dumbledore have their own way with him. Curious teenage boys who had already seen too much, knew too much, could not simply be shunted aside and told to be a child again. That was like time travel and it was no secret that time travel was dangerous not to mention impossible in the manner they wanted to travel. Had it been otherwise, Sirius would have gone back to a time before Azkaban and there would never have been this problem in the first place.  
  
No, Harry needed his Godfather's protection especially for those he counted as he as allies. And he needed to have a father figure there to tell at least grant him some encouragement and comfort. He'd never replace James, but he still needed Sirius to fill the hole that had been left by the elder Potter's death.  
  
Settled on what he knew was right and his duty, Sirius nodded, "Alright. What does this chance entail?"  
  
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Zasha watched Dumbledore watch her from behind his desk. She attempted to ignore the stare of the man she'd landed on and the constant disapproving glare of Snape. She wondered if the greasy man's face ever did something besides sneer or scowl... The other man, Lupin, seemed nice enough, though. Unfortunately, he lost points for her embarrassment over landing on him.  
  
Kali sat beside her, purplish eyes wandering about the room in amazement. Zasha couldn't blame her, the room was large and filled with interesting contraptions, including pictures that moved. She was even ready to swear that she could hear whispering coming from the portraits about the room, a fact that she wasn't sure if she should be frightened of or curious about.  
  
"What are we waiting for," asked Snape. "We should just modify their memories and leave them in London!"  
  
"Patience, Severus," Dumbledore said calmly, his gaze never wavering from Zasha and Kali. "We mustn't be too hasty."  
  
Zasha tried and failed to restrain a shiver, "'Modify our memories?' What do you mean by that? I don't want no one messing with my brain!"  
  
Kali nodded in agreement and tried to give the men her most intimidating glare, which no longer seemed to harness as much power after having been on the receiving end of Snape's.  
  
Lupin put up his hands in an attempt to appease the frightened girls, "Don't worry. No one will hurt you here. Severus is simply irritated that you disturbed his territory." The thin man gave a small smile which Zasha couldn't help but reciprocate as she saw the look of loathing Lupin's words produced from the man in question.  
  
"Yes," Dumbledore agreed. "Your arrival was very unexpected. It also presents us with a problem. Neither of you are magical, yet the way you arrived was magical. And impossible."  
  
"If it was so impossible," Kali snapped back, "how did we manage it?"  
  
Dumbledore nodded sagely and stood. He paced around his desk and to a high bookcase. Zasha watched as he allowed his eyes to wander over the books before turning to once again regard his guests.  
  
"You will have to stay here for the time being," he told them finally. ""You said you worked in a bookstore? Well, Madame Pince is retiring this summer. She gave me her notice yesterday. Perhaps you can take over her library duties until we have this resolved."  
  
"You did bring us here," Kali gasped angrily. "You want us to be your slaves!"  
  
Dumbledore's eyes grew hard and his companions stiffened in anger. Zasha looked at them wide-eyed and realized her friend had just made the worst error she could have possibly made.  
  
Wrapping an arm around her temperamental colleague's mouth and head, Zasha quickly began backtracking, "Of course not, Kali! We're at a school! They probably can't help us if they can't keep us here and can't keep us here without a legitimate reason. The jobs would be the answer to both that problem and their problem of finding a replacement for their librarian."  
  
Dumbledore scrutinized Zasha closely as his eyes slowly softened. Finally, as though finding what he had been looking for, he smiled and nodded. "You would be correct, Zasha. I do not condone slavery and will give you my word that I will do everything within my power to return you to your homes."  
  
Zasha nodded, finally releasing a sullen Kali. Somehow, she had the feeling that this man did not make idle promises. But why then did she feel like she'd never see her home again?  
  
No! She mustn't think that way. She would get home! After all, who would keep her mother out of trouble if she didn't? The woman was by far too trusting and everyone always took advantage of her. She had to get home, simply to protect her mother.  
  
Suddenly she gasped, a memory finally making its way into her consciousness, and slapped Kali upside her head, sending her neatly arranged hair flying.  
  
"What," Kali screeched, scrambling away from Zasha.  
  
"I had work in the morning! Now they're gonna think I skipped out! And it all your fault for talking me into going to that place with you!"  
  
"It's not my fault," Kali screamed back. "I didn't force you to go! And it's not like there won't be an investigation into our disappearances! They'll think you've just been kidnapped or murdered or something!"  
  
"Oh, and that's so much better," Zasha snarled, getting to her feet. "That's really gonna-"  
  
"Ladies," Dumbledore said firmly, stepping between them. "Perhaps you would feel better after a good night's sleep." He pulled a nearby bell pull and a small, pointed ear creature appeared wearing mismatching clothes and far too many hats. "Please show these two ladies to a pair of chambers, Dobby. They are to be our new librarians."  
  
Dobby nodded happily, "Yes sir! Dobby know just the ones, sir!"  
  
"Thank you, Dobby," Dumbledore told the excitable creature before turning to see the pasty-faced pair of girls behind him. "Dobby here is a house-elf. He will show you to your rooms. Have a good night and please don't tell anyone anything more than you're being the new librarians."  
  
Zasha and Kali nodded, throwing a "Good night" to the men in the office as they hesitantly followed the house-elf to their rooms.  
  
"We shouldn't keep them, Dumbledore," Snape said as soon as they had disappeared. "They're Muggles. I know you like to protect the weak, but couldn't you be a little less generous?"  
  
"Severus," Lupin told him. "I don't think they meant to come here. And I do think they need our help."  
  
"You're just happy that someone finally touched you," Snape sneered. "After all, who in their right mind would? Unless they wanted to become a werewolf too?"  
  
"Severus," Dumbledore said in rebuke. "I don't believe those girls to be normal Muggles. I think this is much larger than it would first appear."  
  
"We still have the Dark Lord to defeat," Snape almost hissed.  
  
Dumbledore sighed, "Yes. But you never know when Providence might decide to send you an angel. You just have to make sure you don't refuse the offer."  
  
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Harry stared out his window at the moon sailing high in the sky. His birthday was next week and he still had yet to hear word of when he could escape this place. Though he suspected he might deserve to be pushed around by his family and forced to do all the chores. After all, it was his fault that Sirius had died. And it was his own stupidity that kept getting everyone into trouble.  
  
He looked back down at his homework and sighed. He'd already done everything he was supposed to, plus. In his quest for peace of mind, Harry had researched each of his summer essays to an exhausting extent, so much so that he was sure he'd be giving Hermione a run for her money on the longest essay category.  
  
Then again, this was Hermione he was talking about. Er.thinking about.  
  
Harry sighed and resignedly repacked all his work back into his truck, picking out a large book on counter-curses his studious friend had sent him for summer reading. He suddenly let loose a huge grin, imagining the look on Ron's face if his friend could only see him actually reading a giant book after finishing all his work early. The red-head would be horribly disappointed in him, even more so if his mother found out before he'd finished his own.  
  
Settling onto his bed again, Harry scowled at the early morning hour and decided to simply read the rest of the night. He'd be off for it, though he wondered if even then he'd able to sleep tomorrow night. Sleep was a rare commodity these days for boys named Harry Potter.  
  
The book was actually pretty interesting, Harry thought. It catalogued, diagramed and listed everything an individual curse did before doing the same to explain exactly why and how it could be counteracted. It also covered all the curses Harry knew and a good many he didn't. Harry was only sorry Hermione hadn't given him this in time for the Tri-Wizard Tournament. He could have used it in the maze.  
  
Still, no matter how good a book was, it was now 4 in the morning and he was finally tired. Maybe a couple hours of sleep would be good for him. If he could manage not to dream, that is.  
  
Switching his light off, Harry slipped the book under his bed, pulled up his covers and snuggled down. He closed his eyes and tried to blank his mind as Snape had taught him to do, but, as usual, it refused to empty. Harry didn't know how long he attempted the occlumency, all he knew was that he was startled into full awareness by the sudden crash that sounded from the downstairs.  
  
Harry tensed beneath his covers, all five of his senses silently stretching out to find the source of the disturbance. They didn't get far as Harry's uncle had also woken up at the disturbance and was currently roaring and stomping angrily enough to wake the dead. Another shout, this one deeper and harsher than his uncle's, shouted a spell from the direction of the stairs and a scream muffled slightly by a horrible thump sounded from the hall outside Harry's door.  
  
Harry shot out of bed and hit something standing next to his bed. He caught cloth as he fell back onto the bed and an invisibility cloak slipped, revealing the head of a woman only a few years older than Tonks wearing an expression worthy of Moody. Her brown eyes narrowed as a woman's screams were cut short with another spell and now only Dudley could be heard screaming as his door slammed closed.  
  
"Grab your invisibility cloak and wand and hide," she hissed at him. Then she turned and scrawled a quick message on a piece of scroll and practically threw an indignant Hedwig out the quickly opened window.  
  
"Hurry," she hissed urgently as she righted her cloak and waited for the sounds of Dudley's terror to quiet.  
  
Harry didn't need telling a third time, he practically flew into his trunk, stopping only to put on his glasses. He dug a bit until he uncovered his cloak and shut the lid as quietly as he could. He gulped as the house shook from another loud crash and Dudley's screams for help were abruptly silenced. Harry grabbed his wand and book from the bedside table and slid under his bed, careful to keep his cloak carefully tucked around him so that no part of himself could be seen.  
  
The woman also covered her head back up and disappeared into the darkness. Harry took this time to clamp a hand over his mouth to muffle any sounds he might be tempted to make. The door crashed open and Harry twitched in an aborted jump. A numb feeling seemed to steal over his body as the Death Eater stepped cautiously into the room. Two more followed him and Harry just caught the fluttering of the last one's robes.  
  
They continued to entered the room, one using his wand to blast open and rifle through Harry's closet. Suddenly, the low voice of the woman shouted out a curse and the man in the closet flew back onto the bed. The other two spun back around and began firing their own curses at the door. Another well-placed curse blew a second Death Eater through the window and sent the third scrambling for cover at the foot of Harry's bed.  
  
He sent a quick curse at the place where the woman seemed to be aiming from. She was apparently slow in moving, however, as the cloak was snagged off her from the spell. She screamed in pain as she let herself fall behind the unconscious first Death Eater. The last Death Eater threw Avada Kedavra at her, but missed. The curse blew apart what was left of Harry's closet and covered the woman in its splintered remains.  
  
For a moment, the dust settled in the room and Harry thought that was worse than the fighting. Then both combatants peeked their heads up over their barricades and fired off spells. A red curse arced its way towards Harry's guardian, drawing a high scream from her, but it was too late. A split second before it hit, she called out, "Expelliarmus," and the Death Eater's wand followed the curse. The Death Eater himself flew back into the wall behind him.  
  
"Stupefy," the woman cried in a strangled voice and he slipped to the ground unconscious. "You alright, Harry?"  
  
"Yes," Harry told her, beginning to slip out from under his bed. "You?"  
  
"Stay where you are! And fine," she told him before spelling ropes to bind the two Death Eaters still in the room. Then she stood and worked her way slowly over to the window to look for the third.  
  
She turned and allowed herself to slip down the wall in exhaustion, "Stay put, Harry. We're missing one."  
  
Harry watched as her eyes slowly closed after her last statement and hoped that she wasn't dead too. He concentrated on what he could see of her chest and finally saw a small, seemingly pained breath. He breathed his own sigh of relief and turned his attention to listening for signs of more Death Eaters.  
  
**************************************************************************** **  
  
She didn't know where she was, but wherever it was, it was dark. And cold. She wrapped her arms around herself and shivered. Her eyes darted from side to side as she whimpered with fear.  
  
"Is anyone there," she called softly, almost as though she was afraid to be heard. Which she was.  
  
It was dark here, but not dark enough to hide the shadows which moved and flowed into the murky gloom. Voices seem to drift past her, but she couldn't catch what any of them said. Sometimes a shadow would begin to take on the shape of a person and she'd gasp. The shadow would stop at her gasp and quickly disappear back into the blackness.  
  
"Zasha..." a voice spoke softly from the darkness, surprise filling its tones. "Why are you here? Surely it is not time yet..."  
  
She jerked at her name and looked wildly around, as though expecting the gloom to suddenly part and allow her to see the source of the voice.  
  
"Who are you," Zasha cried, tears forming in her eyes. "Time for what? And where is here?"  
Silence met her questions and fear began to swell in her before being burnt away by anger. "Where am I," she screamed as she began to run towards where she thought the voice had originated.  
  
"Stop," came another, hoarser voice. A hand grabbed her arm and spun her around. Zasha caught sight of a pair of dark hooded eyes and screamed. She shut her eyes and wrenched her arm free of the man's grip.  
  
"No, wait! I need your help," he yelled. But it was too late. She tripped and was being pulled in by the darkness. She thought she felt a hand grab her sleeve, but it must have been her imagination as she continued to fall...fall...  
  
Zasha woke suddenly as she hit the floor next to her bed in the room she'd been given to sleep in. She lay there for a moment, stunned and comforted by the cold stones beneath her. She breathed a sigh of relief as she realized it had all been a dream. Just a dream.  
  
"Hey Zasha," Kali burst into the room. Zasha watched in amusement as the blonde attempted to tackle her in the bed, not yet having realized that her friend was currently lying on the floor. Zasha watched as Kali bounced and began frantically searching the twisted covers, barely suppressed laughter bubbling in her throat.  
  
"Zasha," Kali called after a moment. Fear was tinging her voice and Zasha opened her mouth to respond, but was cut off by the whirlwind that was the blonde girl. She watched in shock as the door slammed shut behind Kali.  
  
Barking laughter sounded, seeming to surround her as it slammed through her head. She stood quickly and searched the room with wide eyes. The only things that looked out of place were her bed sheets.  
  
"Who's there," she finally called out. The laughter stopped, but she had the feeling of someone watching her with a critical eye.  
  
Searching the room cautiously once more, she decided that if the pictures could move, and reportedly speak, then perhaps the mirrors could too. She threw a blanket over the mirror, which made an indignant noise, and dressed quickly. Throwing her hair into a quick braid, she practically ran from the room, hoping she could find her way to breakfast all right.  
  
**************************************************************************** **  
  
'If dreams came true,' Zasha thought as she rounded what seemed to be the millionth dim corner in the past half-hour, 'then nightmares must too.'  
  
"Help," she called as she continued down yet another deserted corridor.  
  
"Really," a voice exclaimed from next to her. "Couldn't you at least refrain from screaming until you're not standing directly in front of my portrait?"  
  
Zasha shrieked and turned to stare directly into the eyes of a very irate portrait of a woman. She looked as though she might have once been a teacher with her blonde hair pulled back into a tight bun and her face set with sternness. Her robes, however, were white, which forced Zasha to wonder.  
  
"Y-you really can talk," Zasha exclaimed, holding a hand to her heart. "I-I mean, sorry..."  
  
The woman cast a coll, calculating look over Zasha before allowing herself a chuckle, "I am Izza Bellums. I was once a professor at this school."  
  
"Oh, wow. Did you like it here?"  
  
Izza gave Zasha a small smile, "Why of course. There is no better place to be than Hogwarts. Except when a Wizard War is beginning, that is."  
  
"You mean," Zasha asked, curiosity getting the best of her, "it's easy to break into? But I thought castles were supposed to be medieval strongholds."  
  
The woman sighed ad rolled her eyes, "They are, but that's there problem there, you see. Hogwarts is too strong. Whichever side controls it stands the best chance of winning it. Especially if they happen to know all its dark secrets."  
  
"Secrets," Zasha repeated in fascination, her ears twitching slightly with excitement.  
  
Izza's eyes twinkled with mischief and the love of gossip, but before she could answer Zasha found herself tackled to the ground by a very hyper Kali. Zasha struggled to free herself, but found that she couldn't move. Kali and the stones beneath her were both equally unyielding. Turning her head slightly to the side, Zasha just managed to free up enough of her nose and mouth to draw in small, quick breaths.  
  
"Kali," a kind voice said over the blond's incoherent ramblings. "She really will be hurt if you don't allow her some air soon."  
  
Immediately, Kali sprang to her feet, almost bodily lifting Zasha up as she went. Zasha swayed and slipped from Kali's grip, tipping hard into the wall beside Izza's portrait.  
  
"Oh," the woman moaned sympathetically. "That must have hurt."  
  
Zasha sighed, eyeing her contrite friend. "Dang, you are hyper lately! What are you on, Kali?"  
  
Kali frowned at Zasha, attempting a look of innocence and failing miserably. Zasha sighed again and turned her attention to the amused seeming headmaster. She wondered idly how a man so old could rock on his heels like a young man while still attaining a perfect look of grandfatherly reproach.  
  
"Sorry, sir," Zasha apologized to him. "Did Kali drag you from breakfast to search for me?"  
  
"Well, I couldn't find you," Kali interjected defensively. "You weren't in your room when I came to find you."  
  
"You didn't check the floor, Miss Whirlwind," Zasha retorted flatly.  
  
Kali opened her mouth, then closed it as Dumbledore chuckled. "But why would you have been on the floor," she finally managed.  
  
A blush rushed the blood to Zasha's face and she averted her eyes.  
  
"Hmm..." Dumbledore said in a light tone. "It always amazes me the positions one gets into as they sleep. Why, just the other morning I woke up to find my head where my feet usually were."  
  
The girls both stared at the older man for a moment in stunned amazement. Zasha wondered if she was allowed to laugh as Kali softly commented to herself, "And he admits to that?"  
  
"Dumbledore," Izza interrupted, her tone one of all duty. "There is someone waiting to speak to you outside your office. They say it's urgent."  
  
Dumbledore raised an eyebrow and nodded. "If you will excuse me, ladies. I think you can find your way back to the Great Hall for the end of breakfast. If you have any trouble just ask the portraits."  
  
"Thank you," Kali said as Zasha nodded. They watched together as Dumbledore strode past them and around the next corner.  
  
"C'mon," Zasha said , starting off in the opposite direction of Dumbledore. "Let's get something to eat."  
  
Kali reached out and grabbed the red-head's arm, pulling her back around, "This way, girl."  
  
Zasha sighed in frustration and nodded. This time she allowed Kali to take the lead and allowed her mind to wander. Something was confusing her. She knew that no one was sure how they had gotten here, except that here was definitely not their world; events that had happened in her world, hadn't happened in this world. It was strange, however, how well Kali was taking this. Normally the girl started to spaz out at the prospect of even missing one episode of her favorite tv show, not to mention being cut off from it for possible forever. And there was the fact that they had been attacked just before they'd been brought here. Not to mention it had been Kali that had arranged things for this all to be possible. Did it all have something to do with the other?  
  
"Hey, Kali," Zasha said. She hurried to walk beside the younger woman. "Have you playing with any of that- that Witchy stuff again? You know, the herbs and crystals and stuff?"  
  
Kali shot a sideways look at Zasha, "It's Wiccan and even if I had, I wouldn't have gotten you caught in it. I remember your reaction the last time..."  
  
Zasha blushed, "I can't help it if I'm allergic to Rosemary! Those stupid Catholic ladies just spread it on me too often when I was a baby... And you might have asked before attempting to help, y'know."  
  
Kali laughed dryly, "Yeah, yeah. Breakfast's waiting for us, then we get to learn their library with its current librarian. We can discuss my activities later, right?"  
  
"Alright," Zasha answered as she pulled open the doors to the Great Room and breakfast. She knew this for the stall tactic it was, but figured that since Kali's expression wasn't guilty, or at least not more guilty than what was normal for the prankster, that she could afford to drop the subject for the moment.  
  
Ok, I decided I really hated the original version of this. It was just begging to be given longer chapters. So I did it. Just please don't expect fast updates. Which, by the way, you can find out about by joining my email list for story updates. You can also chat about HP stuff there. No one seems to be at the moment though.  
  
This new chapter combines chapters 1 and 2 and part of 3. I've moved stuff around, redone some, added. Let me know how you liked the fight scene with the Death Eaters. I'm much more comfy with writing more physical types of combats. Also, sorry I skip points of view so much here. Couldn't help it. Needed to introduce everyone.  
  
Also, Zasha Nox is NOT me. She just insisted that was her name and, well, I couldn't argue more than a few days. She's stubborn. One of my most stubborn charas to date.  
  
Also, this will involve Sirius as you could already tell. ::grins:: One of my fave charas! It will also involve romance, including pairings not even hinted at in the books. Though, of course, the canon pairings will remain the same. I just felt like some romance. It's just a pity can't seem to swing it in my RL. Oh well! Enjoy!  
  
::grins evilly at Lycoris with her infernal flags:: 


	2. Studying the Board

Dumbledore introduced Kali and Zasha to Madame Pince later that day and a more Attila the Hun-like woman Zasha had never met. Her eyes had the ability to turn the talkative to stone and her lips pursed so tightly that Zasha was amazed there was anything left of them. She was an excellent librarian, however, and had them working mercilessly all the rest of the day learning her library. 

Zasha understood the urgency inherent in the older woman's training, though. It was very apparent that she and Kali would still only have an inkling of how to run this library by the time the new school term had begun and their teacher had left. 

Kali herself seemed rather bored with everything that was going on, not really sensing Madame Pince's unforgiving gaze. But Zasha sensed it and found that she actually liked working in the library the more she did it. It was like the bookstore here. There was more to do than simply put out, sell and reorder books and that suited Zasha just fine.

The only problem Zasha could find with it all was that danged snoring. She'd searched the entire library and couldn't find who was doing it. When she'd finally asked about it, Kali had given her a worried look and Madame Pince had told her to go lie down after having some dinner. Zasha wasn't sure if she should be puzzled or grateful for the brief reprieve.

She and Kali wandered down to the Great Hall and ate dinner quietly, still slightly unnerved by the few teachers that remained over the holidays. They in turn seemed to be perfectly content to simply watch the newcomers in relative silence. Zasha took off after dinner and retired to her room to think and read the book, "Hogwarts: A History," that she'd borrowed from the library on her way out. Kali must have been tired herself, as she didn't object and even retreated to her own room, mumbling something about herbs and rosemary. 

In her room, Zasha quickly prepared for bed, avoiding the mirror whenever possible, which the mirror seemed to consider quite rude, before climbing atop the soft four poster and curling up against a pillow. The book, though written like any other boring history book, was actually very interesting. Unfortunately, something kept sighing in a very bored fashion.

"Oh," Zasha growled irritably after the fifth sigh and with a glare towards her mirror. "Mirrors are supposed to be silent! Not sighing every five minutes!"

"Well," the mirror exclaimed from behind the towel that now covered it, the blanket from earlier having returned to its proper place on her bed.

Now a chuckling was dancing its way across her brain. "Stop laughing, you!" Zasha was tempted to throw something at the offending object.

"Why would I laugh, you insulting child!"

"I'm not a child," Zasha screamed back at it, lifting a pillow and preparing to throw it. "I'm 28 years old!"

"Calm down..." came a soft, though hoarse voice. "Don't blame the mirror for what I've done, as funny as it is."

The voice stopped Zasha mid-swing, the pillow hitting the bed with a loud THWACK! She looked wildly around the room, her red hair flying as her head twisted this way and that. She backed up against the headboard, her heart pounding in fear at the unseen person in her room. Everything seemed to be in place and Zasha couldn't tell where the voice might be coming from.

"Where are you?"

The voice was silent for a moment, then, "That's a little hard to explain."

"Then start trying!"

A sigh, then, "I'm sort of stuck in you."

"WHAT," Zasha squeaked, her hands immediately beginning to inspect her body.

  
  


Another sigh sounded and the voice asked, "Remember your dream last night? Well, it wasn't exactly a dream. And you dragged me out of that place before you woke up." 

"Where...was that," Zasha asked, attempting to scramble out of bed and only managing to succeed in entangle her legs with the blanket and so fall out of bed for the second time that day.

She scowled as the voice gave a barking laugh at her predicament before crying out as her book slipped from the bed to bounce off her forehead.

"You know, you are the most klutzy woman I've ever met," the voice said, mirth still evident in its light tone.

"Shut up and answer the question," she told him, sure now that the voice was male. She removed the ravenous blanket and stumbled up and over to uncover the mirror. Ignoring the indignant comments of the abused furniture piece, she searched her face for any signs of another person.

"You're not going to find me in the mirror," sighed the man. "I was in Hades, the land of the dead."

Zasha's eyes opened wide and she fell forward, drawing a frightened squeak from the mirror as it jolted violently and nearly fell from its place on the wall. "DEAD? YOU'RE DEAD?"

"What are you," shrieked the mirror, "crazy? I'm certainly not alive!"

"And I'm not really alive either," said the man sadly. "But I'm not exactly dead at the same time."

"How can you be neither," Zasha whispered, her eyes wide in disbelief and fright.

There was a pause as the mirror tsked at the foolishness of Muggle girls and Zasha attempted to calm her racing heart. The silence lasted a short while until Zasha was wondering if she'd imagined it all. Perhaps she was going crazy... Then, the voice came back.

"It's because of the way it happened. I fell through the Veil of Death. My body is trapped here with my soul."

"Here," repeated Zasha. "Am I..."

"No," sighed the man. "You're not dead. Your dream simply connected us, allowing me to transmit my thoughts to you and your's to me."

"You can read my thoughts?"

"Well, perhaps a little more than that. I can keep track of what's happening with you. Don't worry! I'm not spying on you or anything! I just can't seem to focus on much else besides you."

Zasha allowed herself to slip to floor with a small, ironic laugh, "Not spying on me. I just can't hide anything from you! And why'd I dream about your Hades in the first place."

He sighed, "I don't know. And I have to say that I'm grateful you did. This place is almost as bad as Azkaban. At least there, I had a way to stay sane, here there's nothing."

"Y'know," Zasha told him in a piqued voice. "That'd almost be romantic. Except for the fact you're dead!"

"I told you I'm not dead! And it's not as though I had a choice in the matter! I'd rather be THERE with my godson!"

"You had a godson?"

"Have. And yes, he's probably very upset at having seen me fall into this bloody place."

  
  


"Poor boy," Zasha sympathized as she finally stood and moved to climb back into bed. "And do you think you could go back for a little while? I'm going to sleep and I don't sleep with men I don't even know."

"Just sleep," the voice was riddled with annoyance this time. "I won't bother you if I can help it."

Zasha blew out her light, feeling a bit annoyed herself, and curled up against her pillow, praying for sleep.

  
  


******************************************************************************

  
  


It had been a day since the attack on number 4 Privet Drive. Kingsley Shacklebolt rubbed a hand over his bald head as he surveyed the remaining ruins of what had once been Harry Potter's home. The Death Eaters had swamped the place before any help could arrive and when they finally had, it was only to find Harry's watcher, Marla Hinkle, dead with her wand in hand. It seemed she had gone down fighting a valiant, if hopeless battle. Harry Potter and most of his personal belongings were gone without a trace.

Kingsley sighed, not looking forward to having to pass the news along to Weasley's that the boy was most likely captured and dead. The family, all except for Percy, who was still nursing his wounded pride over having been proved wrong, seemed to have taken Harry in as the seventh Weasley brother. Their reaction to his loss was not going to be pleasant; he imagined it might even be worse than Percy's desertion. 

"Still no sign of him, I'm afraid," Tonks's voice floated over to him. He turned to watch the dark haired witch stumble over to him. Her eyes were shadowed with sadness and her normally bright personality seemed dimmed with the grief that weighed them all down.

Kingsley looked back to the battle-scarred building and nodded silently. He listened as Tonks finished making her way over to him. In the silence that followed, he pretended there was something interesting about the scorch marks beneath what was once Harry's window.

"He might still be alive," Tonks said hopefully, not falling for Kingsley's ruse for a second. Kingsley nodded, though the thought did not stir up much hope in him. "I mean, he always survives. He's the Boy-Who-Lived! He always somehow manages to scrape by and turn up somewhere. Ok, so it's not always unscathed, but he is alive. Right? Don't--"

Kingsley turned sharply at the little shriek that accompanied the sudden stop in Tonks' speech. Surprise rolled through him as he found himself staring at Percy Weasley, who held his nose indignantly in the air at being the cause of Tonks' fright. 

"Nymphadora Tonks I presume," Percy asked her pompously. She nodded and he continued, "The Minister desires a report on the progress here. He wants you, as one of the investigating and first arriving aurors, to report to him."

"I thought I was in charge of this-" Kingsley began angrily, but Percy cut him off. 

"The Minister wants to speak to Miss Tonks," Percy told him. "I'm to escort her there."

Kingsley scowled and turned to share a look with a nervous Tonks. "Will you be ok," she asked him hesitantly. He nodded and she sighed before disapparating. Percy threw a smirk at Kingsley before following with a pop. 

Kingsley let out a growl and slammed his fist against the wall behind him. Pain surged through his arm and he bent over in blind agony. 

"Of all the blind, stupid..." he said through clenched teeth, blinking back the tears that had sprung into his eyes. 

Something seemed to waver in his vision through the tears, drawing his attention from the pain. It seemed to be part of an invisibility cloak, but they'd already found Marla and Harry's invisibility cloaks and neither had been damaged...

He reached out with his good hand and felt the smooth fabric before snatching it up and bringing it closer for better inspection. It was indeed an invisibility cloak, but whose? Unless someone else had been watching the Dursley's last night. Which might answer the question as to how the wards protecting Harry had been broken. If someone from the inside had been here secretly, they might have inadvertently broken the protective spells and allowed for the attack. And if that person had been sent by the ministry, it would also explain why the Minister wanted a report from an admittedly klutzy auror. A seasoned one, such as himself, would be too apt to see through whatever lies and cover ups Fudge could produce. 

Rage flared through Kingsley at the thought and he quickly disapparated, determined to report to Dumbledore and, hopefully, exact some revenge on a corrupt Minister.

  
  


******************************************************************************

  
  


Zasha woke the next day feeling slightly annoyed and more than a little tired. Her dreams had been filled with alters, veils, sacrifices and, strangely enough, weddings. A man had also been there. He'd had long, shaggy hair and dark eyes that alternately pleaded with her and laughed at some unknown joke. She'd rather liked him... 

"Awake yet," asked the man in a bored tone.

Zasha's annoyance level doubled and she groaned. "I couldn't hide it from you if I tried."

"No, no you couldn't," laughed the man, amusement threading into his voice. "And who were you dreaming about? I'll assume it was a man..."

"What," Zasha asked, her eyes flying open and her voice hissing out as she attempted to not screech. "You've been watching my dreams? How dare you!"

"I didn't," he replied, annoyed. "I only caught your emotions. You seemed to like someone, a lot. And since I don't think you like women..."

"He was just a figment of my imagination, so just stay out of it," Zasha said, standing and moving to get dressed. "And turn your back or whatever, I'm getting dressed."

"I can't see anything anyway," the man told her irritably.

Zasha opened her mouth to retort, but just then the door to her room blew open and Kali came flying in. Zasha watched as the younger woman quickly checked the bed before searching the floor beside the bed. 

"Looking for someone," Zasha asked her with a grin. She could hear the man chuckling roughly and her own eyes flashed in amusement as Kali spun around to stare at her in surprise.

"Zash! Don' do that," Kali scolded her smaller elder. "You scared the life outta me!"

Zasha laughed and shook her head, "That doesn't seem hard lately. You've become as skittish as a cat in a room full of rocking chairs!"

"That's a long-tailed cat in a room full of rocking chairs," Kali corrected grumpily. "And hurry up and get dressed. It's time for breakfast!"

"I will if you'll get out!"

Zasha shoved a surprised Kali out as barking laughter filled her mind. She sighed as the door closed, sent a silent insult at her still amused companion and dressed as quickly as she could in the robes Dumbledore had had delivered the day before for her and Kali to wear. She looked in the mirror in order to ascertain how she looked, but was disappointed to find that she looked even younger than before in this absurdly loose clothing.

"What's your name," she asked the man in her head before she left her room.

He paused a moment before answering her, "Just call me S."

Zasha snorted, "Right. S. Fine, just don't distract me when we're with people. I may be going insane, but I don't have to advertise it."

She opened the door and forced a smile for Kali as S's barking laughter erupted once more. She scowled as she passed her younger friend and led the way to breakfast, this time managing to find her way without getting lost.

About a dozen others had already gathered at the table and were discussing various topics over their breakfasts. Most of them barely acknowledged it when Kali sat down at the table, but they all stopped and stared as Zasha seated herself. She could feel their eyes on her as she reached for the pitcher of juice and poured herself a glass. But she didn't lift her face to return their stares until after she'd replaced the pitcher.

"Why," said a tall, thin woman with greying hair tucked up into a tight bun in surprise, "You're just a child!"

Anger flashed through Zasha and she clenched her teeth as she replied, "I'm 28 years old already."

A thump sounded as an older man slipped off his seat onto the floor and astonishment made its rounds about the table. "Yeh look 13," exclaimed a startlingly large man as the older man struggled to climb back up on his seat.

"Really," Zasha replied with a forced slight smile, her fingers clenching around her glass in irritation. "I seem to be looking older all the time. Before I know it, I'll have grey in my hair."

"Naw," Kali told her irreverently, reaching for a muffin. "Eleven year old's don't normally have your size chest. Small as it is."

Zasha brought up her closest hand and whacked Kali lightly on the shoulder before her brain could even catch up with her actions. She vaguely heard Kali's indignant sputter and the gasps from around the table, but decided she could blame it on her current insanity. Yeah, it was the man currently guffawing in her head that made her do it. 

"Leave my chest outta this," Zasha told her. Kali snickered in response, her eyes glittering in a way that Zasha knew meant mischief. She ignored her younger friend and reached for a croissant and some jam instead.

"How mature..." said the first lady with a look of distaste.

Zasha shrugged, spreading jam on her croissant. "We have our moments." 

"Are yeh sisters," asked the giant man.

"No," Kali and Zasha said at the same time. The two looked at each other and blushed before Kali continued, "We just have similar eyes, so everybody seems to think we are."

"I'm Zasha Nox, by the way," Zasha said, her anger finally dying down enough for her to remember her manners.

"We know," said the woman. "Dumbledore told us about you already. I am Minerva McGonagall. I teach Transfiguration and am the Deputy Headmistress."

"I'm Rubeus Hagrid, Miss Nox," the giant introduced himself. "I teach Magical Creatures. This here's Professor Flitwick, he teaches Charms."

"You can call me Filius," the little old man who had fallen off his seat before told her. 

  
  


One by one all the others at the table introduced themselves, though Zasha knew she'd be hard put to actually remember them all from this. Still, she nodded and smiled as best she could with a mouth full of croissant until they had run out of people to introduce. After that she happily listened as Kali took over the conversation from here and silently chewed her food in peace.

"So, you look 13," questioned the voice which seemed by far more sober than she'd yet heard it.

'Problem with that,' she asked him silently, wondering if he would be able to hear her. Apparently, he could.

"No, I just didn't get to see you very well before. Just enough to know you're small."

Zasha snorted into her cereal and continued to eat, ignoring the look of concern that Kali shot her way. Finishing quickly, and silently, she excused herself. She nodded to Kali who said she'd meet her at the library and walked briskly out of the room.

"What are you, afraid of people," S asked her in his gravelly voice. 

'Of course," she snap-thought back at him. 'Wouldn't you be if you were having conversations with men in your head?'

He chuckled, but shut up and she finished her trek in relative silence.

  
  


***********************************************************************

  
  


It was almost two hours before Kali showed up at the library and Zasha immediately knew something was wrong. Kali's face was both pale and puffy and red encircling her deep blue eyes. Zasha dropped the books she had been cataloging, startling S out of his snoring and Madame Pince into looking over her piles of books at them.

"Sorry," she called over to Madame Pince as S asked worriedly, "What's happened?"

Zasha shushed him quietly and walked quickly over to her friend. "What happened," she asked Kali worriedly. 

Kali gave her a bright smile, "Nothing. I'm fine. Guess it just hit that we're really stuck here." 

Zasha nodded her understanding, feeling a bit uneasy with the way the conversation was going, "But there's still some hope. That Dumbledore guy said he was going to try to send us home... And- and, well, we have to go home. My mom can't take care of herself, she needs me."

Strangely, the voice in her head had gone silent and that silence seemed to reverberate more loudly than anything he'd yet said or done. The sinking in her stomach was fast becoming a stone and bile was rising in her throat the longer she waited for Kali's cautious answer.

"I'm sorry," she said so softly that Zasha almost missed it. "If I hadn't insisted we go-"

"No," Zasha cut her off, not wanting to hear it. "It was like any other night and this is like any other trouble we've ever gotten into. We'll get back out of it, somehow." Zasha forced determination into her heart, praying it could replace the hope that was rapidly bleeding away with the minute hand on the clock that ticked silently across the room.

Kali nodded slowly yet Zasha couldn't help noticing that there was no true hope in her eyes, only a helpless struggle to follow Zasha in her faith. The boulder in Zasha's stomach became a mountain and she gulped to keep the panic down. 

"I better get to work or Dumbledore might decide we're not worth the effort," Kali said softly, though something of her old enthusiasm seemed to be returning. 

  
  


Zasha watched Kali go off into her own corner of the library silently before returning to work with a sigh. The cataloging was boring and before long, the comforting snore of S had returned. She smiled softly before she realized what she was doing and the hours she had left to work passed quickly listening to S's snores and concentrating on the books that lay before her. 

The volumes were invariably dusty and most were seemingly old, but they were all in good repair. And as soon as Zasha had stacked more than six of them in a finished pile next to her on the floor, they disappeared, leaving her more than enough room to continue. Likewise, every time the pile of books yet to be inventoried and catalogued had shrunk sufficiently, she discovered it to have grown back to its original size. While this was good in that she didn't have to stop to find more books and could finish that much faster, it also meant she would have no breaks save for the hour she and Kali took at noon for lunch. 

"Well, it is time for dinner, ladies," Madame Pince announced about six that evening. Zasha looked up and rolled her neck to work out the kink that had taken up residence.

"What," S asked, startled awake at the sudden crack that followed. Zasha blushed, though S couldn't see her and both Kali and Madame Pince were too far away to have heard.

'Dinnertime,' she thought back at him, picking herself up and joining Kali at the door. 

"Really," he asked, his voice seemingly perking up. "It's been so long since I had dinner with a beautiful lady."

Zasha averted her face so that Kali couldn't see her blush, not noticing that her friend was lost in her own world as well. 'I thought you couldn't see me.'

"I can't," he replied, "but after all this time with no one who could count as a woman, anyone would look good to me."

'How long have you been there,' Zasha asked curiously, absently jumping off a staircase that had begun to move with her on it and ignoring the insinuation of her being less than pretty.

"Not too long, but it seems like forever," S replied. "And I wasn't really able to get out into common society before anyway."

Zasha snorted, figuring he had been a hermit before he died. 'So you didn't like to go out much, huh?'

She could practically hear the pause before S replied, "I wasn't allowed to."

She blinked, stumbling a bit and drawing a worried glance from Kali before continuing, 'So you were a criminal or something?'

"Or something," he replied sadly. "It made me a very bad godfather, not being able to protect him from the need to stay safe myself. It made my already large tendency towards rashness even worse. That's how I ended up here."

'I'm sorry," Zasha told im truthfully, feeling bad for having thought the worse of her new friend, even if he did live in her head. 'I'm sure your godson understood though.'

"Yes, he was one of the people telling me to stay put in fact. I just need to get back to him and tell him I'm sorry anyway."

Zasha smiled slightly, 'I'm sure he'd just be happy to see you. Is there anyway you can escape?'

"Possibly-" 

"What's wrong, Zash," Kali's voice broke into Zasha's silent conversation. "You've been standing there for five minutes."

Zasha jumped as she stared at her friend incredulously. "Oh," she finally said, reality kicking in. "Sorry." 

  
  


Kali stared worriedly after her friend as Zasha finished making er way in to dinner and claimed them a pair of chairs. She didn't say anything more, though, and had soon joined the table's conversation while Zasha sat and listened, throwing in a sentence or two every now and again. The meal passed companionably, with S even adding in an occasional grumble, causing Zasha's eyes to twinkle as merrily as Dumbledore's ever had. The long time teachers at the table were unnerved by the familiarity of the feature, but soon settled into an easy feel with the two new girls as a result. By the end of the meal, made even longer by the casual conversing, everyone was satisfied both mentally and physically. 

Kali followed Zasha into her room that night, her face a mask of nerves. She explored a bit as Zasha changed quickly and finally settled on the bed when her older friend finished brushing her teeth.

"Zasha," Kali asked her hesitantly. 

Zasha stilled in her nightly hair grooming regimen, giving Kali her full attention. 

"Are you mad at me," Kali's eyes looked fearfully into Zasha's own.

"Why would you think that," Zasha asked in confusion. 

"Because you've been so quiet lately. Not to mention so absent minded," Kali replied. "Plus, it's my fault we're here..."

Zasha sighed and hushed S's quiet growl about self-recriminating fools before replying, "I'm not mad at you. Just trying to get used to this, same as you. And it wasn't your fault. No one knows how it happened, but your wanting to go to a new club had nothing to do with it. We were probably just in the wrong place at the wrong time."

Kali flushed and looked guiltily down at her feet. "I think it might have been my fault. I was tinkering with a new spell. It's the real reason I was late."

"Spell! What kind of spell," S and Zasha's asked at the same time, double strikes of panic lancing through Zasha's body. 

If possible, Kali's flush flushed even deeper, rivaling Zasha's hair, "It was an ointment, supposed to give the wearer the ability to see things they otherwise wouldn't. I couldn't get it to work, so I thought I'd bring it along and see if you could help. You're always good at figuring what's wrong, even if you don't believe in it." 

"I've never heard of such an ointment..." S said thoughtfully. "What was in this ointment?" 

"What went into making the ointment," Zasha repeated, careful of how she asked. It might be underhanded, but sometimes you have to corner Kali to get a clear answer from her.

"You know," she answered, averting her gaze, "the usual. Herbs, some crystal, some magic words, a whole lot of hope..."

S breathed a sigh of relief, or was that disappointment, Zasha wasn't sure. She wasn't even sure which it was that shot through her as S told her, "It wasn't her. It would take a lot more than that to do it."

Zasha nodded and blinked as her vision was suddenly filled with a crystal that seemed to glow green in the flickering candlelight. She fell back against the wall and glared angrily at Kali, who looked properly abashed at her reaction.

"Sorry, but it works in three parts. You have to spread it on you, then put this on. After that, you chant the spell. I don't know why, but I think it worked. A little too well."

"What was the spell," S asked. Zasha repeated his question to Kali.

"Just a little rhyme. I made it up myself:

  
  


Other places do I see

My mind's eye

Is where they be

Until I sigh

And leave to see."

  
  


"Cute," Zasha told her, "but I doubt it would have done anything." S agreed, sounding extremely amused.

"Yeah," Kali agreed, looking crest-fallen. "I think I should have put in something about the gods and goddesses. It was the only change I was definitely going to make, just wanted a second opinion on whether or not I need to change anything else."

S groaned in amused annoyance, "Nothing she would have done would have made any difference. There's a lot more to working spells than finding a book of shadows and trying to make something out of what was probably a few haphazard notes on an idea."

"I don't know what else might have been wrong," Kali continued. "I put in all the right ingredients, did everything I was supposed to. The only thing I had to improvise was the words. But maybe it did work. Just a little late is all."

Zasha rolled her eyes, "It wasn't your ointment that did it, Kali. It was just an amazing coincidence, that's all."

"You sure," Kali asked, looking torn between being relieved and disappointed.

"Yes," Zasha said at the exact same time as S. "I'm sure." 

Kali nodded a bit sadly before moving to the door, "Well, I'm gonna get ready for bed here. It's strange how tired I am by the end of the day here." 

Zasha smiled in agreement, "Yeah, but come back after you're changed. We can read through some of those culture books they gave us together. Maybe they'll be less boring that way and us less sleepy."

Kali nodded and left. Zasha waited until the door was closed before asking S, "What do you think happened?" 

"I doubt her spell had anything to do with it. What happened right before you arrived here," S answered her after a moment. 

"I was waiting for Kali and some other friends in front of a new club we were going to. She was late and when she finally got there, these men tried to come on to us. They weren't the sort you take home to mother, y'know? So we started backing up, Kali behind me and a light pole behind her. Unfortunately, we bumped into the light pole and the men managed to corner us. Suddenly I felt this pull in my stomach, which might have been fear, but this was like an actual tugging more than that nauseous feeling I usually get when I'm scared, and then I was sitting on top of poor Remus. I'm surprised I didn't hurt him, he's so skinny," Zasha told him quickly. She finished in an annoyed tone as she listened to S's laughter.

"Don't worry about Remus. He's stronger than he looks. And probably enjoyed it more than you would think. It's rare he gets the girls to fall for him these days." S sobered slightly as he said the last, but he still sounded too amused for Zasha's peace of mind.

"How can you be so cruel," she hissed at him. "Remus is a very nice man." 

"And very lucky to have been sat on by you, I'm sure," S placated her. "But the fact remains that most women are too stupid to see the good catch he is."

Zasha wasn't certain if she should be placated or not, so she let it drop for another time. "So what do you think happened to us?"

"What," S replied. "Oh. Well, I'm not sure. It was definitely magic that brought you here. Sounds sorta like a port key, but if you're from another dimension like everyone suspects, it couldn't have been. Portkeys bend space, not dimension."

"That's a lot of help," Zasha grumbled, picking up her book from before and settling back against the headboard.

"Well, maybe you could do a little research for me in the library. I'm sure Dumbledore has it covered, but maybe I figure something out now that I know what your friend was up to."

"So you think her spell might have been what we're looking for," Zasha asked in disbelief. 

"No," S answered, killing her barely realized hopes before they could gain much of a hold on her heart. "But it may have created something for some other magic that was floating around there that night to react off of. The crystal and herbs, anyway. Her little spell was the stuff nursery rhymes are made of."

"It basically was a nursery rhyme, wasn't it," Zasha said, chuckling. "But she does try hard."

Whatever answer S might have given her was cut off when Kali reentered the room, her own copy of "Hogwarts: A History" under her arms. "How far have you gotten," she asked, climbing into the bed next to Zasha.

"Not far, just the second chapter," she answered the blonde beside her.

Kali snorted, "Farther than me. It's so boring I've only gotten halfway into the first chapter." 

Zasha shrugged, "Doesn't matter. We'll finish our respective chapters and then go to bed, sound good?"

Kali nodded and began reading. Zasha smiled and followed suit after a quick apology for the interruption to S. 

"I'm only sorry that I've got two young women in a bed together and can't do anything about it."

Zasha hoped desperately that Kali wouldn't notice the bright blush that spread across her face and proceeded to reread the last paragraph. They sat there like that for the next hour before Zasha realized that Kali was no longer turning any pages. In fact, she hadn't for a very long time. 

"Kali," she asked glancing over at her. The blonde woman's eyes were shut and her chest rose with her soft sleeping breaths. She looked very peaceful now, but Zasha just knew that if she let the girl stay the night, she'd either hog the covers or turn Zasha into a human teddy bear. 

"Kali, wake up," she told her, poking her in the arm. "Time to go to bed. Your own bed, not mine." 

Kali mumbled something unintelligible and managed to burrow down into Zasha's covers. 

"Come on, Kali! You have to go to your own bed to sleep!"

Kali rolled over and shifted into a more comfortable position. 

"It's a lost cause, I think," an amused S told her when she growled in irritation. "I used to have a friend like that, and the only thing that would wake him up was to be drowned in ice water."

"I am not soaking my bed," Zasha exclaimed, drawing another mumble from Kali. She watched the girl, fearing her outburst had awoken her and she'd now be sent off to an insane asylum, but Kali continued to sleep peacefully, curled up against the pillow. 

"Fine," Zasha gave in. "She can stay. I don't care, we're both girls anyway. And maybe I won't have Whirlwind Kali in the morning." 

She blew out the candles and curled up with her back to Kali. "'Night," she told the snickering S. 

  
  


"Good night," he told her, still snickering. "And you'll probably still have whirlwind Kali on your hands tomorrow. She'll jusyt get to actually wake you up for once."

Zasha scowled, but remained silent and soon was as fast asleep as Kali.

  
  


***********************************************************************

  
  


~Zasha's dreams were much the same as the night before. He stood there in the dark, but still eerily beautiful clearing. A bright full moon hung in the air above him as a warm breeze blew through, rustling the surrounding trees and blowing his long hair about his face. He smiled warmly at her and she felt her heart soar. She grinned and ran towards him, barely noticing when it all began to change about her.

It was subtle at first. She never seemed to get any nearer to him, though he always held out his arms in welcome. Then the clearing darkened, the moon disappeared and the rustling trees stilled. His hair settled and became ragged. His clothing, before immaculate black robes, like something she'd imagine a Wizard groom wearing, became torn and tattered. His ebony eyes that sparkled welcome became as shadowed as the clearing and his smile changed to hold a note of desperation. Fear struck into her heart as she realized the changes and she skittered to a stop, gasping back a scream. 

"Don't be afraid," the man said, his voice familiar, though she couldn't place it. "Help me, please."

For some reason she didn't understand, her heart pulled her toward this stranger and she found her feet slowly drawing her near him. This time she was allowed to approach and the nearer to him she drew, the faster her feet carried her. Finally, she stood before him and stared into his haggard, though kind, face. She opened her mouth to speak, but the words never came.

Behind him had appeared an obsidian alter, a flat bed of rock that sat on a simply designed stand of the same material. A fluttering transparent veil fluttered onto the altar with an unfelt wind that Zasha knew boded no good for her. Fear gripped her heart once more as the wind suddenly became felt and very cold. She looked wildly back at the man but he had turned to watch the veil and she followed his glance back.

Another man, this one cloaked in a cloak that seemed made of the darkness of midnight stepped out from behind the veil and reached one enshrouded hand out to her. Her eyes widened and her mouth opened on a silent terrified scream.

"Don't be afraid, child," the man said in a whispery voice that held none of the evil she had been sure it should. "Come to us. Come to me."~

***********************************************************************

Albus Dumbledore stood staring out at the pre-dawn sky from his office window as he listened to Mrs Weasley rage at anyone and everyone and Shacklebolt argue with Snape over how much Tonks could be trusted. Mrs Weasley was acting the part of any distraught parent in her position, making Dumbledore wonder, as he had many times over the years, if Harry wouldn't be better off with the Weasley's rather than his relatives. Or would have been, now.

No! He couldn't think like that. Harry could still be alive; there might yet be time to rescue him and bring him back to safety. There may no longer be any hope that the boy would simply turn up on his own accord, but perhaps Tonks could uncover a lead in her meeting with Fudge. 

This whole kidnapping seemed suspicious overall. The intruders had killed the Dursley's and Harry's bodyguard in what looked like two rounds of fighting. Then, by all appearances, they had taken Harry and his luggage to only Heaven knows where. Why would they have done things such as they had if all they intended was to kill the boy? Even if Riddle had something planned for the boy, he wouldn't have taken his things as well. What point would there be in that? 

  
  


Unless....

"Kingsley," Dumbledore said, turning abruptly. Immediately the room quieted and everyone granted him their full attention. "What was missing from the Department of Mysteries after the battle last June?"

Kingsley blinked, "Not much that can't be accounted for. Some prophecies which were destroyed, a brain, a couple time pieces... The veil was torn, but that might have happened when-"

"Nothing that Voldemort would be interested in?"

Lupin's eyes lit up as he caught on to what Dumbledore was asking, "You mean, something that could make him want to take Harry's things as well as him? Couldn't he have simply wanted to see if Harry still had their prophecy intact?"

Dumbledore nodded thoughtfully, "I doubt it though. It'd be easier to ransack the trunk and kill Harry at the house if that were the case. None of this situation seems to be Tom's style. Not unless it's some elaborate plan that I can't even begin to comprehend."

McGonagall snorted from her position at the back as Mrs Weasley groaned, "If you can't understand it, then what are we going to do? You're the greatest Wizard since Merlin himself!"

A faint blush brushed Dumbledore's cheeks and is eyes twinkled brightly with embarrassment, "Now, Molly, I wouldn't go so far as to say that." A snort came from Snape's side of the room, giving Dumbledore an idea. Not one of his favorites, but without any leads, they had to take whatever chances presented themselves, no matter how far fetched they happened to be.

"Severus," the tall, scowling man looked up with a faint look of wary curiosity in his black eyes, "Report to Voldemort of Harry's disappearance. Don't let him realize how clueless we are, but use it to find out anything he might know about this." Snape nodded and left the room with a flourish. "Kingsley, Arthur, make some discreet inquiries about the Ministry, see if anyone there knows anything." They both nodded and stood to leave.

"What about the rest of us," Mrs Weasley asked. "I can't just sit and wait while my- while he's missing!"

Mr Weasley walked quickly over to his wife and pulled her into his arms as Dumbledore hid a sad smile behind his beard. "You and the others can listen to the gossip mills at your jobs and your communities. Report anything you hear to me, no matter how insignificant it might seem."

Mrs Weasley nodded, seeming to have deflated now that she had her husband's arms around her. She allowed him to guide her from the room, but even afterwards a depressing silence seemed to suck the light from around those left. Slowly, the others began to make their excuses until Dumbledore was the only one left. 

After a few moments in which Dumbledore stood silent vigil over his office door, Fawkes gave a light enquiring trill. Immediately, the air lifted somewhat and the old wizard found the strength to turn and grant the pheonix a small smile. 

"Well, Fawkes, think we'll ever find him? Or have we lost our only hope?"

Fawkes gave a sad trill in answer, to which Dumbledore nodded and sighed. He made his way over to his desk and sat down, looking every bit his ninety years. "I'm afraid so, Fawkes. I'm afraid so..."

  
  
  
  


A/N: 

Ok! Been a while since I updated. Thanks to my three reviewers (BigBlackDogStar, cera and melanie) for their encouragement! I haven't been very active in the fanfiction realm lately because of a very busy schedule and being really tired overall. Not to mention I have so many to work on and my own original stuff to boot. Hope no one thinks me dead.

Anyway, the ~'s in the story mean I wanted to use italics, but ff.net never allows me to do italics, bold or anything like that. Anyone else have that prob. I'd love to know how to fix it....

This chapter is a very long one, but I think it came out ok. You'll find out about Harry next chapter, plus more on S and getting this plot moving along. Got some surprises up my sleeves and I think people will enjoy. And I bet all Sirius lovers will be happy with this chapter. Unless, of course, they wanna marry him... 

Hopefully I can get the next chapter out faster, but don't count on it. Grad school is hard and has a LOT of writing involved. For example, in my Topics in Writing: Science Fiction class, ONE assignment and only one of my many assignments for that class alone, has me writing five 3000-6000 word stories of publishing quality. First two are due a week from Wednesday. SO, you can see, I'm very busy.

Also, I'd just like to gush for a moment. A year ago, as I was applying for grad schools, I applied to Glasgow University in Scotland. My grandfather was born in Scotland and they had a good Creative Writing Masters program. Never heard back from them until 2 weeks ago. I had been shortlisted and I am now a student there starting October 2004!! Not sure what to do about my current Master's program, but if I can swing it, I'm going!! ::grins happily::

Anyway, I hope you enjoyed. There were parts I really enjoyed, like playing off of Zasha's youthful features and Kali's hyper reactions to her new environment. Not to mention writing S. I really wanna get more into him and Zasha next chapter, but watch out, things are pretty nice right now. I plan to shake them up a bit. So, see ya next time!!

::sits vigil for Lycoris, sure Lycoris is just luring her into letting down her guard::


	3. Dream Moves

Author's Notes at the bottom

Zasha was being crushed. A boulder was pressing down on her, crushing her ribs and threatening to collapse her lungs. Her eyes flew open and she stared at the dimly lit ceiling. She moaned and shifted, trying to figure out what was on top of her, since there were no signs of an actual boulder. She tried to force a breath into her struggling lungs, but the mass seemed to become heavier.

Pain shot through her arms suddenly and she realized that whatever it was extended to cover them as well. She tried to tug them out but they remained firmly wedged in. The pain lanced into her chest, pooled in her lungs and brought tears to her eyes. She couldn't breathe and she was going to die.

"_Zasha! What's wrong?"_

_ 'Can't...breathe...'_ Zasha told S silently. She didn't have enough air left to speak.

_ "Why not? What's going on?"_

_ 'Heavy...'_ She bucked and twisted as much as she could, but couldn't dislodge it. Spots began appearing before her eyes. _'S!'_

_"Calm down. What's on top of you?"_

Darkness was hovering at the edges of Zasha's vision. She gave one last buck and breathed out as the darkness rushed in.

_A boy lay huddled against a wall on a thin pallet of folded blankets. The room he slept in was small and dark. The walls were made of brick painted grey and held no windows or decorations of any sort. In fact, aside from the boy, his makeshift bed, a full bed pan and a tray of empty dishes, the room was empty._

_ "Excuse me," Zasha said, moving forward slowly. Her voice was soft and breathy and she jumped when she heard it. _

_ The boy did not move._

_"Hello! Are you alright," she asked as she stepped quickly over to kneel by the boy. He was breathing slowly, but deeply. Glasses lay in the corner of the walls where he wouldn't be able to break them. The boy was asleep._

_ Still, as peaceful as he seemed to her now, why wasn't he waking up? What was he doing here like this?_

_ "Sweetie? Wake up, hon. It's time to wake up." Zasha reached down to shake his shoulder, but her hand went straight through. "What?" Panic swelled within her and she began panting. Goosebumps rose on her skin as a shiver worked its way through her body. _

_"BOY!" Zasha turned, her eyes wide, to watch as the door was flung open. A tall man appeared in the doorway, his body engulfed in billowy robes she had come to recognize as wizard's robes. "Wake up!"_

_ A moan came from the boy below her and she turned back to watch him sit up. He rubbed the sleep from his eyes before reached back and grabbing his glasses. Then he looked up and seemingly straight at Zasha with the brightest pair of emerald green eyes she had ever seen. _

_ "Hurry up, Potter! I haven't got all day! Some of us do still have to work."_

_ Potter's face screwed up like he wanted to say something and then thought better of it. He lifted one hand to his face and that was when Zasha noticed a bit of dried blood on his nose and a blackened right eye. _

_"AH," she gasped. "What happened?"_

_ "I'm coming_," _Potter yawned and stood._

_ Zasha squeaked and fell back as Potter walked through her to the door. She watched him, from her position on the floor, shiver and glance down at her. His eyebrows drew together and he worried his lip between his teeth. Light shone in from around the man in the doorway and highlighted the bruises on his face. A bright pink scar seemed to jump out at her from under the black fringe on hair that fell over his forehead._

_ "Well, you wanna eat or not?"_

_ Potter looked up again and the back down at her before he nodded and moved quickly over to the door. Zasha sat up and watched as he took the tray of food from the man. He turned and started back towards her._

_ "Wait," the man growled. "Where's the old tray?"_

_ "Let me just put this down and I'll get it for you." Potter's voice was weak, but it held a small note of defiance in it._

_ "Move it," the man snapped. _

_ Potter nodded and moved quickly over to the pallet. He set down the tray, carefully ensuring that nothing would spill. Then he moved over to the empty tray, collected it and gave it to his warden. _

_ The man snatched it from his hands and left the room with a bang. Zasha jumped at the sound and then wished she had some aspirin to give the poor boy. The sound was loud, but Potter seemed to act as though it had been deafening. He was still holding his head._

_ "Potter," she said. She reached over to grab a roll from his tray of food, but her hand had just made it when the darkness returned and swept her away once more. _

"Zasha!"

It was dark and warm and comfortable. Zasha didn't want to leave, didn't want to move ever again.

"Zash! Please wake up!"

_ 'That voice is the only downside to this place,'_ Zasha thought. She stubbornly ignored it and imagined herself being swallowed by the comfortable darkness.

A gravelly chuckle intruded on her warmth and she could feel a gentle pushing sensation back out of her comfortable nest. _"As nice as it is to have you as close to me as this, you need to wake up, Zasha. I don't know what happened, but whatever it was, you can't stay here. I'm not that desperate for companionship."_

Zasha gasped and her eyes flew open, but instead of meeting the eyes of her new companion, she saw the tear-streaked face of Kali.

"Oh, thank God!" Kali launched herself down on top of Zasha, wrapping her arms around the girl in a hug that Zasha found to be suffocating.

"Kali," Zasha gasped out. "Air!"

Kali screeched as she flew back again, her momentum sending her tumbling from the bed onto the floor. She popped back up before Zasha could do more than sit up, however.

"I'm so sorry, Zash! I woke up and I was wrapped around you and you weren't breathing! You were blue!"

"So you were the boulder," Zasha said softly. Her chest hurt, but aside from that she couldn't detect any harm to her from her sleeping companion's over-eager snuggling the night before.

Kali gave a small sob. "I'm sorry! I really am! But you started breathing almost immediately after I got off you-"

_"Courtesy of your favorite thinking friend."_

"But you still wouldn't wake up! You were out so long! I thought I'd killed you!"

Zasha sighed and threw her legs over the side of the bed. "If I was breathing, then you couldn't have killed me." Kali sniffled in response and Zasha rolled her eyes. "You're just never going to be allowed to sleep with me again."

"I'm so sorry! Are you ok? I didn't hurt you or anything?"

"I'm fine," Zasha told her. She stood and felt a small ache shoot through her chest. She grimaced, "Although, my chest aches a little."

Kali jumped up and started shoving her towards the door. "We'd better get you to that nurse then!"

"It's nothing! I'm fine!" Zasha tried to pull her arm back, but her muscles felt weak and it came across as only a little tug.

"No! You have to get it checked out! I'm heavy!"

Zasha raised an eyebrow as she smirked at her friend. "You actually admit to that?"

"Zasha!"

Zasha gave a breathy laugh which soon turned into a hacking cough. She felt Kali rush over to pat her enthusiastically on the back.

_"I think she's right," _S told her once the coughing had died down. _"I think you're ok, but that was pretty close, Zasha. For a little while there, even I couldn't find you."_

Zasha allowed herself to be pulled out into the corridor. '_Fine, but I won't like it.'_

_"That's alright, I never like-"_

Another coughing fit took Zasha over as she was slammed into something hard. It gave and she fell forward to land on top, hacking all the way.

"Are you alright," asked a familiar voice.

Zasha gulped and tired to hold in her coughs as she looked up to see the curious eyes of the first man she'd met in this world, Remus Lupin. And the was not only sitting on him this time, she was _LAYING_ on him. The hacking took over and she lowered her head quickly, hoping he'd take her fiery face to be from all the coughing.

_'I landed on him again...' _she moaned to S.

S. snickered. _"Who, Remus? Old boy probably is enjoying this!"_

Zasha's face did the impossible and turned an even brighter shade of red.

"Zasha, are you alright," Remus asked her. He shifted so that he was sitting with her curled up in his laugh.

"I'm sorry," Kali cried. "It's all my fault! I should be named a human disaster area!"

"No, that would be me."

That voice was unfamiliar, but decidedly feminine. Zasha could tell from the high, tight tone women usually reserved for when they thought someone was coming on to their men and saw their men as being the impossibly oblivious creatures they naturally were.

_'Uh oh.'_

_"What,"_ S. asked.

_'I think I'm upsetting his girlfriend.'_

_ "Moony has a girlfriend!" _Sirius sounded delighted at this news.

Zasha had managed to stop coughing after Remus had gotten her into a sitting position and now took the time to stand on unsteady feet.

"I'm ok," she rasped. "I think Kali just strained my chest muscles when she used me for a human teddy bear last night."

S snickered as Kali flushed bright red before hiding her face in her hands.

"Human teddy bear?"

Zasha looked over at the new woman. She was thin and had short, spiky blue hair. Her dark eyes were watching Zasha and Remus carefully, though they now had two feet of distance between them.

"Yeah," Zasha told her. She gulped some air and licked her lips quickly. "We were reading together and she fell asleep in my bed. I was next to her and didn't feel like going to her room, so I just turned off the light and left her. I woke up this morning with a Kali boulder on my chest just before I passed out again. This time from lack of oxygen."

"We should get you to Madame Pomphrey," Remus told her. His eyes were on Kali, though, as she moaned dejectedly into her hands. "Come on, Kali."

Kali nodded and moved over to help Zasha. Zasha simply shook her head at her friend.

"I'm out of breath, Kali, but I can make it on my own. You can't damage me that much."

Kali looked as though she was going to burst into tears when the blue-haired woman threw an arm around her. "Wotcher, Kali! I'm Tonks. Don't worry. If there's anything wrong with her, Madame Pomphrey will have her fixed up with time left to steal some breakfast."

Kali stared up at Tonks's smile. Her lips twitched slightly before she nodded.

Zasha gave a sigh of relief and a small cough before turning her own smile on Remus. "Well, time to get moving then." She began to move back down the hall.

"We'll come with you," Remus said.

"You don't have to," Zasha rasped.

"Yes, we do," Tonks said. "You're going the wrong way. You'll never get there at this rate. You'll just end up wandering the halls in your pajamas."

Zasha blushed and Remus laughed. He moved over to her and placed a hand on the small of her back. "This way, m'lady." He gave her a gentle push to get her started and they led the way to the castle infirmary together.

"You've been here three days and you're already in my care," Madame Pomphrey tsked as she shoved a glass of foul smelling liquid under Zasha's nose. "Keep this up and you'll be giving Mr. Potter good competition."

Zasha jumped and looked over at the nurse, her dark blue eyes wide. She opened her mouth with the intention to ask about this Potter and gurgled as the nurse shoved the foul smelling liquid between her lips and tipped it down her throat. The potion tasted worse than it smelled. Zasha gasped and tried to spit it back out, but Madame Pomphrey quickly covered her mouth with a cloth to make sure it stayed in.

"Swallow girl. Can't heal your bruised lungs if you don't swallow."

Zasha swallowed and glared Kali, who stood laughing at the foot of the bed.

"That was the most disgusting-"

"But the look on your face was priceless," Kali exclaimed. "I haven't seen you look so surprised since-"

"You don't need to go there!"

Tonks laughed from her position on the next bed, where she sat watching with Remus. "So, you're not as innocent as you look!"

Zasha snorted and shifted to allow Madame Pomphrey to continue her examination.

"Well, you can argue well enough now. You should be fine in a few more minutes. Then you can go have some breakfast, just don't exert yourself too much today," Pomphrey said as she moved away.

Zasha nodded and watched the older woman leave the room.

_"I didn't think Harry was that frequent a visitor here,"_ S said.

_'You know who she was talking about?'_

"Ready to go, Zasha," Remus asked. Zasha turned to look at him. "Breakfast is half over, but there's still plenty of time to make it."

Zasha nodded and gingerly made her way out of the bed. "Just let me change into those clothes that Kali went and got me during the examination."

"I'll just step outside."

Kali snickered as Remus left. "He's so cute. He blushed!"

"No, he didn't," Tonks said.

"Yeah he did," Kali replied. "Didn't you see the tinge of red over his cheeks bones?"

Zasha pulled off her pajama top and slipped her bra on, all the while keeping her back to the other women. "You like guys that blush, Kali. Could it be you've got a crush?"

"Zasha! I don't go for older men! At least not that old."

"He's not that old," Tonks told her in a icy voice.

Zasha glanced back over her shoulder at the blue-haired woman before pulling her robe over her head.

_"I think Remus and Tonks have gotten closer since I left..."_

_ 'You knew them?"_

_ "Once..."_

The robe dropped over her head and she regarded Tonks curiously once more. She dropped her pajama bottoms off through the cotton fabric.

"Ready," Remus' voice called in.

"Just about," Kali called back. "You can come in now though."

Remus poked his head around the corner as Zasha picked up her pajama pieces and began folding them. "Thought I heard my name?"

Tonks made to reply but Zasha grinned and hurried to answer instead. "You did! These two were just fighting over you!"

"Zash!"

"Zasha!"

S snickered as Remus sighed. "I highly doubt that. Still, we'd better get going. We don't want to rush with your lungs still healing."

Zasha tucked her clothes under her arm and moved to join him. "You shouldn't underestimate yourself there, Remus. You may have a few greys, but you're a good guy." She started down the hall, hoping her red face wasn't seen.

"Go Z," Kali yelled from behind her.

_ "A good guy? He's been dumped by a woman who sat on him! Twice!"_

_ 'It was a compliment!"_

Remus stepped up to walk beside her. "Still feel all right?"

"Yep." She looked over at him. "So who's this Potter Madame Pomphrey was talking about?"

"Harry Potter. He's a kind of celebrity that is in his sixth year at Hogwarts. He can't seem to avoid trouble. That's why Pomphrey sees him so often." Remus answered.

"So we'll get to meet a celebrity come fall," Kali asked, appearing at their shoulders.

"If we can find him before then..." Tanks said, her voice mournful.

_"Find him! What happened to Harry?"_

"What happened to him," Zasha asked.

Remus stopped and turned to glare at Tonks. She blinked and then her jaw fell open as she apparently remembered something. Her hands flew to her face. "I'm sorry, Remus! I forgot not everyone knew yet! But it's not like they're going to be telling!"

Remus sighed and turned his head to look at Zasha and Kali. "Harry's guardians were killed a couple of nights ago and he was kidnapped."

_"WHAT!"_

_ 'Ow...'_

_ "Ask him what happened."_

"Do they know what happened?"

"Why are you so interested," Tonks asked.

Zasha shrugged as Kali answered for her.

"Zash hates to hear about children being hurt. So you can chill! We weren't even in this world when he was taken."

"No..." Remus said. "But you did appear the same night."

"Are you accusing us," Zasha asked.

_"Just tell him to answer the question!"_

_ 'You shut up too!'_

_ "I WILL-"_

_ 'I can't do anything while you're screaming in my head!'_

"No, but it is true... I never thought of it before." Remus' eyebrows drew together over his eyes.

Zasha tsked, "Whatever. I'm gonna drop these off in my room and tidy up a bit. I'll grab something when I head up to the library." She started back off briskly, ignoring the enraged threats S was hurling at her.

"I'll come with you," Kali told her.

Zasha waved her off. "I'm fine. You go eat. I'll see you at work."

"But-" Kali started, but Zasha turned the corner and flew down a staircase that began moving after she'd stepped off it. Zasha could feel her friend's eyes on her until she'd entered the next corridor and was shielded from sight.

_'Hold on a minute, S. I need to talk with you when I get to my room.'_

_ "Why? All I wanted to know about why Harry! Couldn't you have just asked again?"_

_ 'Remus wasn't going to tell me anything. Just hold on though. I want to ask you something when we get to my room. About Harry Potter. But I don't want to out here.'_

S growled, but fell silent. Zasha walked as quickly to her room so that by the time she reached it, her chest burned from the effort. She opened the door, locked it behind her and flopped onto her bed.

"Finally! My chest hurts! I need a rest."

_"Well," _S growled. _"What do you want to ask me so much you couldn't find out who took m- Who took Harry_?"

Zasha raised an eyebrow, but decided to ignore the small slip for now. "Do you know what Harry looks like?"

_"WHAT DOES THAT MATTER!"_

"After I passed out this morning I had a dream. It might be nothing, but it felt so real..."

S was silent for a moment, _"What happened in this dream?"_

"There was this boy. He was a prisoner in this dark room and his jailer came in to feed him. The jailer called the boy Potter."

_"Did he wear glasses and have a jagged scar on his forehead?_"

"Yes..."

_"Harry! Where was it you saw him?"_

"I don't know. And I could touch him or speak to him."

_"Was he alright at least?"_

"He was beat up, but nothing serious."

S started growling unintelligibly.

Zasha sighed and got up to grab her brush. "What do you think I should do?"

_"Who was it that had him?"_

"I don't know. A Wizard definitely, but the lighting only let me see that he was wearing robes. I couldn't see his face or anything."

_"Damn!"_

"What should I do?"

_"Go to Dumbledore. He at least won't think you're crazy for it. Or at least he rarely does immediately. Shame really... Might not have to put up Snape otherwise..."_

Zasha sighed and eyed her bed. "All right, but first let me lay down for a bit. My chest still burns and I'll have to find the office first. Won't help if I collapse along the way."

S growled but agreed and Zasha lay back down. "I'll have to redo my hair again."

_"Do it on the way to Dumbledore!"_

Zasha snickered and yawned. Soon her eyes drifted closed and sleep swept her away.

_The boy Zasha now knew to be Harry Potter sat on his bed with a book pulled up to him. Next to him sat a small oil lamp that Zasha guessed had been brought to him for this purpose._

_ "At least they're not that cruel to him," she mumbled and crept up to look at the book too._

_ The book contained what seemed to be instructions on casting spells. Diagrams showed the movements of the wand arm and what the end product should look like. It looked to be a curse as the person on the page seemed to be in a good amount of pain. _

_ "Is this a school book," she exclaimed as she leaned forward. She lost her balance and fell forward, through Harry, to hit the wall with her head. "Owww..." She sat back rubbing her head._

_ "Is there someone there?"_

_ The boy's voice was soft and raspy, but Zasha still heard it. She blinked for a moment, he hadn't been able to feel her last time..._

_ "Yes, Harry. I'm here. But where are we? Who took you?"_

_"I felt you before, but I couldn't let them know you were there. Touch me if you're still here."_

_ "Huh?" Zasha looked into Harry's eyes and gasped. They were unfocused and she didn't reflect in them at all. But she was right in front of him. She reached out and touched him. Harry smiled and looked down at his arm where her hand still lay._

_ "Are you on my side?"_

_ Zasha reached out and touched him again, this time running her hand down his cheek._

_ Harry smiled. "The ministry took me and hid me in the Department of Mysteries. Can you tell someone for me? Dumbledore?"_

_ "Of course I will, Harry. I just hope he believes me."_

_ Harry smiled, "Thank you."_

_The door banged open. "Who are you talking to in there, boy! Get back to studying!"_

_ Zasha turned to glare at the man and found herself spinning into darkness again._

Zasha was swimming in darkness again. It was warm, but very comfortable. She was really getting to like it here. She felt that this might be a bad thing, but she really couldn't bring herself to care. It felt too safe. Too right.

_"Zasha,"_ a voice whispered into her ear._ "Are you ok? Wake up. You shouldn't be here."_

_"S..."_ She whispered and snuggled in. _"I like it here."_

_"Wake up,"_ he screamed into her ear.

Zasha's eyes flew open and she sat up with a gasp. Her chest was painfully tight this time. "S! What'd you do that for?"

_"You'd be stuck here if I didn't!"_

"Oh. Thanks then."

_"Fine, but what happened? Kali come back?" _

"No, but I think I've found Harry."

_"Where is he!"_

"The Department of Mysteries, wherever that is. He told me the Ministry took him."

S began to growl. _"Fudge! HE did this!"_

"Fudge?"

_ "The Minister of Magic. He's a power crazy idiot that made Harry out to be an idiot all last year when Harry warned him the Dark Lord was on the move again."_

"Harry really can sniff out trouble, can't he?"

_"Just go get Dumbledore! We have to get to Harry before Fudge does something even more bloody stupid."_

Zasha nodded and got up. She ran out her door and down the corridor. She stopped at the end, however, holding her chest. "This really hurts..."

_"Zasha? What's wrong?"_

"I'll be ok in a minute..." She tried to sound reassuring, S sounded extremely frantic now, but her chest was so tight that it came out weak and raspy.

"Zasha?"

She looked up and saw Dumbledore moving swiftly down the hallway towards her, McGonagall and a tall, black man at his heels. She gulped and tried to straighten up, but her knees picked that moment to give out and she fell to the floor.

Dumbledore knelt beside her and rolled her onto her back. "What happened?"

"I found him," she rasped. The darkness was gathering at the edge of her vision again, but she fought it off. "I don't...know how. He's at the...Depart..ment of...Mystery..."

Her strength gave out and the darkness took her over again.

A/N:

Ok, I'm hoping that since ff.net supposedly fixed the prob, my italics will show up. If not, that's ok, I have it so they're not needed.

Anyway, sorry for the long absence. I had a lot to do for school and work. I do both full time you know. Though soon I will be quitting my job. Won't have much more time though. Have to get ready to move to Scotland!!! I have my tickets! Sept 16 I board the USAIR plane bound for Glasgow at 8:30pm and arrive there at 8:30am!! YAY!!!! I WANNA GO!!!

Anyway, I think this story is moving a little quick for me... But it'll still work. I've got plenty to torture you guys with. Poor Zasha though. She takes a real beating this chapter. But I'm sure Remus was happy! Heh... Anyway. Harry has been found. Go 'Harry! Next chapter, the rescue!! First, however, Dumbledore has to get there and find him again! Hopefully it will not take as long as this chapter...

Oh and you can thank Mira Spiegel for my getting this out finally. She inspired me to get moving again! I really should be sleeping now... Hope you enjoyed!


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